With Match Day—the annual release of National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) results—on the horizon, fourth-year medical students Chey Malmin and Colton Brodock are charting their next steps together after years of shared training.
Having both grown up in Idaho—Chey in Boise and Colton in Emmett—their shared roots played a big role in choosing the Idaho WWAMI program. For Chey, staying close to home was a matter of both convenience and calling. “I love the program’s emphasis on service to the population of Idaho,” she says. “This is where our family is, and it is the community I want to serve.” Colton echoes that sentiment, noting that Idaho WWAMI was a phenomenal fit for both of them and offered the couple a strong chance to navigate medical school together.
Their partnership began even before they donned their first white coats. Chey and Colton met while volunteering at a community health clinic in Idaho and entered medical school already a couple. Since being accepted into the Idaho WWAMI Foundations site, they have supported each other through the highs and lows of medical training, from preclinical coursework to clinical rotations.
Going through medical school together has been a grounding experience. “I have gotten to go through the process alongside my very best friend and see both of us grow,” Chey shares. Their shared educational journey means a deep understanding of long hours, stress and the emotional weight of training. Chey notes, “It makes it easier to give each other grace when we need it most.”
At the same time, they have learned how to navigate differences in perspective, using honest conversation as a tool for growth. For Colton, the support has been indispensable. “Medical school has been one of the most difficult and stressful experiences of my life, and I could not imagine going through it without my best friend by my side,” he says.
Their chosen specialties reflect their interests and personalities. Chey is drawn to diagnostic radiology, inspired by her love of anatomy and the role of radiologists as consultants who help answer some of the medical field’s toughest questions. Colton hopes to find his home in pediatrics, a field where he can embrace being silly and fun while also practicing compassionate, community-centered care alongside colleagues who care deeply about children and their families.
Now engaged after proposing during their third year of medical school, Chey and Colton recently navigated part of the Match process by thoughtfully organizing their rank list as a team. This summer, they will celebrate six years together as they begin intern year, continuing their journey as partners in medicine and in life. While they spent Valentine’s Day this year working an emergency medicine rotation, they later enjoyed a quieter celebration—ordering sushi, relaxing at home and spending time with their dog, Tank.